Union alarmed over think tank's talks on public service cuts

The public service union is alarmed that a conservative think tank has discussed proposed savings with the Coalition that include cutting 24,000 ''less productive'' government jobs from ''bloated'' departments.

Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Nadine Flood said on Monday Opposition Leader Tony Abbott should come clean on the full extent of the cuts he is planning.

''This shows that they are considering going much further than they've said before, in fact double the previously-stated figure,'' she said.

However, ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries said the Coalition was sticking by its policy to reduce the public service by 12,000 positions by natural attrition.

''Our policy on the public service has been restated ad nauseam … any other claims from this government are scaremongering, pure and simple,'' he told Fairfax Media.

The row was sparked by the Institute of Public Affairs which compiled a list of suggested federal budget savings worth $235 billion a year.

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The cuts include slashing foreign aid, abolishing the Human Rights Commission, sacking about 24,000 public servants across 14 departments and ceasing public subsidies to the ABC and SBS.

''Some items have been discussed with Coalition politicians, many of who are in agreement with the principles against which the list has been developed,'' the institute's Alan Moran said.

''Public sector workers are normally far less productive than those of the private sector because of the absence of profit-driven discipline, difficulties in terminating staff and the costs in raising revenue to pay them.''

A previous article by Mr Moran said, in aggregate terms, the number of public servants has increased by 11 per cent in the past five years.

''Excessive staffing is difficult for the ALP to address because its green orientation leaves obvious areas of waste untouched,'' he said then.

Public Service Minister Gary Gray said the Coalition had worked with the IPA to prepare the ''drastic'' cuts.